


Shades of Red

by MiniNephthys



Category: Shin Megami Tensei II
Genre: Florists, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-06
Updated: 2015-05-06
Packaged: 2018-03-29 08:34:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3889603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiniNephthys/pseuds/MiniNephthys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayin goes flower shopping again.  Gimmel helps him again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shades of Red

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes you just have to write silly AUs.

If Zayin were a more poetic kind of guy, he’d say that Gimmel is more beautiful than any of the flowers he works with.

In reality, he’s not good with words, just as he’s not good with flower meanings. So what he ends up saying to Gimmel when he approaches is, “Sorry to bother you again.”

Gimmel waves a hand dismissively. “I like my job, don’t worry about a thing. What has you here this time?”

“The mother of one of my friends is in the hospital, and I thought I’d get her something…”

This isn’t a lie. Aleph’s mother looks as young as he does and is full of vitality, but she’d been in a car accident recently, and Zayin knows she would appreciate the gesture.

That it gives him an excuse to talk to Gimmel again is merely a bonus.

“We have plenty of ‘get well soon’ arrangements.” Gimmel picks up a vase containing at least four different kinds of pink flowers. “What do you think of this?”

“Too pink,” says Zayin. “Hiroko doesn’t really like pink.”

“It is a bit overwhelming.” Gimmel sets the vase down and brushes his hair back over his ear.

Zayin watches the motion, then catches himself and stares somewhere else. “What about those?” he asks, pointing in a random direction.

“That’s one of our sympathy arrangements for funerals,” says Gimmel, patiently.

Zayin colors a tinge red. “Oh.”

“What do you think of these?” Gimmel asks, picking up another vase. Zayin thinks the orange flowers are some kind of daisy and can’t identify the yellow ones: even this is more than he could have done the first time he came here and met Gimmel. “We use these as get well gifts all the time.”

“It’s very bright,” says Zayin, who really would like to make excuses to stay longer but can’t think of any. “I’m sure it will cheer her up.”

He deliberates over vases as long as he can, then finally settles on a clear glass one. “...Thank you for helping.”

Gimmel smiles a bright, sunny smile, lovelier than all the flowers in the store. “Take care.”

Dazed, Zayin wanders to the checkout line. Another florist begins to ring up his order, until he says, “Wait one second.” He grabs the nearest single flower, a red one, and says, “Add this to my order.”

Puzzled, the florist rings it up as well. “Will you need a vase for that?”

“No, no, it’s fine.”

Gimmel isn’t with another customer yet when Zayin is finished paying for his flowers, and Zayin catches up to him, holding out the red flower. “This is for you.”

Gimmel pauses, staring, then slowly takes the flower from his hand. “Thank you…?”

Zayin is scarlet when he turns and leaves the store as quickly as possible.

(It’s a sweet pea flower, not quite an anguished declaration of love, but on the other hand Gimmel knows Zayin couldn’t tell one blossom from another. Gimmel ends up putting it in a vase next to where he hangs his wig.

It’s red. Sometimes the meaning is nothing compared to the intent.

Gimmel hopes he’ll return again soon.)


End file.
